Other than last week’s slideshow of Aaron’s high school years, my last post was 5 months ago! This was due to a lot of reasons, but there were three big reasons that serve as points to update as well!
#1- I use the WordPress app to make my blog posts. As I’m not very technologically inclined (that’s my husband’s department), when technology stops working for me, I rarely know what to do. In this case, the app was repeatedly posting my blog posts. Every time I logged in to write a post, it would post the previous post again. So I switched to the website, which worked for a little while, until the template to add new posts stopped scrolling (which is still recurring). Because I couldn’t scroll, I couldn’t see what I was typing, which perpetuated my delays. 😵💫 [The Update: today I decided to try the app one more time, and it did not repeatedly post Aaron’s high school update, so hopefully that glitch is fixed!]
#2- Near the end of February, a baby came into this world, Created by God, and was welcomed by three amazing nuns. We did not know that God planned to add her to our family until a couple of weeks later, but when we brought her home on March 13, our hearts were forever bound to hers. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍💗
First, although a blessing, the last 5 months have not been easy. The transition from a family of 7 to a family of 8 did not run as smoothly as I expected. First, “Baby” (as she is lovingly nicknamed) did not like the first formula we tried. We switched to a gentler brand, which helped a little, but in general she became quite colicky with her tummy issues. [The Update: we were able to find a local mother who is nursing her own baby and could spare some milk for Baby. This helped Baby feel better, and now that she is 5 months old she is able to drink both breast milk and formula, and handles it pretty well.]
Second, Baby is a very light sleeper. And as you can imagine, her daytime naps are never very long due to the fact that 5 other (loud) kids live in our house, along with the constant traffic that comes in and out of our house and the daily noises of the city (aka the barking and howling hounds of Honiara). Thankfully, I praise the Lord that she sleeps well at night! [The Update: While Baby still does not sleep much during the day, I am learning how to manage. I have a baby carrier that she sleeps in, and we use a white noise app that cancels out a bit of the external noises. Most nights, she sleeps all through the night, so we are thankful for that and we’re making it work!]
Last, I did not expect the additional workload of a new infant in the family to be that much more work than what I had experienced in the States. I was very wrong. 😆 The transition has added much more than I expected to my already very full plate. But she is definitely worth it! 💜 [The Update: Josh installed an on-demand hot water heater for our washing machine that has helped with the diaper washing. Before I had to boil water on the stove for hours and add it to the washing machine so I could wash diapers. Also, the kids have all stepped up and helped a lot around the house. In particular I am thankful for my 17, 15, and 11 year-olds!]
#3- My first born has never liked school–a combination of his dyslexia and his hands-on approach to life. While I thank God for how He has created my son, and the plans He has for him, getting him through to graduation was no small feat! 😝 The last months of school were difficult for all of us as we made sacrifices to help and encourage Aaron across the finish line. [The Update: Aaron has graduated! He has been volunteering with the Operations team at SITAG for the last month and a half. He also was able to take a trip to another island to see a Bible Dedication.]
There! Now you are updated on a few big things in our lives over the past few months. 😁 I am excited to be able to post again!